Sad of Eye
by Basmathgirl
Summary: Sadly, a family celebration is not so happy for the Duplicate Doctor. This is just a small moment between Jackie and him as he tries to adjust to his new life.


**Disclaimer:** a moment of personal angst forced me to write this, and not some bizarre money-making scheme.

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**Sad of Eye**

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The Tyler family were happily eating breakfast; all smiles and knowing looks as they discussed their coming day. Young Tony eagerly climbed up onto his mother's lap, and gleefully declared "Happy birthday!" as he handed her a carefully constructed handmade card.

"Darling!" Jackie squealed with delight as she opened it and saw the message inside. "It's perfect!" And then she smothered her son in kisses.

Having gathered together her birthday gifts, Jackie got up to go to the kitchen and find a knife to cut her fairly modest birthday cake. It was only when she got to the doorway and looked back at the dining table did she realise that there was a vacant spot. The seat where the duplicate Doctor had been in at the beginning of their meal was empty; he must have snuck off.

Mystified, she went to investigate his disappearance, as he wasn't known to miss out on sugary food. Creeping up the elegant staircase in order to draw no undue attention, she made her way towards his bedroom and peeped in through the slightly ajar entrance. He was in there seated on his bed, facing away from the door with his head hung low.

"Are you alright, Doctor?" she softly enquired.

There was a frantic hand wipe across his eyes before he even attempt to turn and look at her. "I'm alright. I'm always alright," he muttered.

That sounded just like the other Doctor to her ears, she noted. "We're about to cut the cake," she replied, hoping to entice him downstairs.

"Isn't that wizard," he said under his breath.

And that certainly wasn't him, Jackie decided, and wondered where he had got it from before moving slowly to his side. Once there, she was horror struck to see tears on his face, and she immediately placed a tender hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong," she offered.

"There's nothing wrong," he wetly insisted.

"Don't give me that, sweetheart," she chided, and sat down next to him.

"It's just…" He finally lifted his head to glance at her, his large soulful brown eyes filled with unshed tears. "I miss her," he let out on a soft whisper.

"Who, love? Who do you miss?" Jackie sympathetically pressed. "Are you saying Rose is different?"

He shook his head. "No, I wasn't talking about her. It was seeing you with Tony that did it," he admitted his grief in a small voice. Sucking in a steadying breath, he confessed, "I'm talking about my mum."

"Your mum?!"

He turned his head and looked directly at Jackie. "You know; Donna," he confirmed. "I'll never get to do all that mother-son stuff with her."

"You never know; you might get to see her again one day," Jackie sympathised, but he shook his head again.

"I can't. She's dead," he forlornly declared.

"Dead!" Jackie gasped, bringing up a hand to cover her mouth in shock. "How do you know?"

He pointed to his head. "She's not there anymore. Hasn't been almost from the moment the TARDIS dematerialised."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, realising that there was still a fair amount of alien within him despite being told he was human. "I'm so sorry. Have you told Rose this?"

"No," he stated.

"Why not?" she instantly wondered.

"Because I know what her reply will be," he admitted, "and at this moment I don't want to hear it. I've lost my mum, my dad, my Nan and Gramps; my whole world." He desperately dabbed at his eyes, using the back of his index finger to wipe away any stray tears. "Yes, I know I've got her, but right now I want…"

Jackie was appalled as his whole face crumpled.

"I want my mum," he quietly sobbed.

"Oh love!" Jackie instantly cried out and drew him into her embrace, gently rocking him as he continued to cry. "Sh shh shhh!" It was then that she noticed he had something clasped tightly in one hand. "What's that you're holding?"

He momentarily opened his palm to reveal a simple plain gold wedding ring. "Just this," he meekly answered.

"Who's is that? Did it belong to someone special?" she asked.

That gained another sob, a sniff and he nodded. "Very special. Mum was given this when they…" He hastily waved off the painful memory, and threw himself further into Jackie's arms.

"I've got you," she soothed him, "and I won't let you go." Her heart broke for him being separated at such an early age from his biological family. It shouldn't have happened; after all, he was probably a child trapped in an adult body.

"Thank you," he mumbled, and held onto her for as long as he could.


End file.
